The practicum is one of the most valuable parts of the Clinical MA Program. It consists of providing a minimum of 500 hours of psychological services at a community-based agency or facility completed under the supervision of a fully licensed doctoral level psychologist or equivalent.
The Practicum provides students the opportunity to develop their clinical and professional skills and to integrate the information learned in courses with the practical realities of service provision in the world of work.
The following is a list of eleven (11) requirements applying to the Practicum:
(a) The practicum setting must be community based (i.e.,
it cannot be within the
(b) A student must complete at least 500 hours in the setting.
(c) At minimum, the student must complete 16 hours of practicum work per week. If done at this rate, students can complete practicum in six months.
(d) The practicum must involve the provision of a variety of psychological services including psychotherapy and assessment. At least 25% of the practicum must involve psychological assessment activities. Other activities that may be included are consultation, counseling, case conferences, and presentations.
(e) All work must be supervised by a doctoral level licensed psychologist.
(f) The supervisor cannot be an UDM psychology faculty member. Preferably, the supervisor will be an employee of the practicum setting. External supervisors are permitted if acceptable to the practicum setting.
(g) The amount and type of supervision done with the supervisor must be done in accordance with licensure requirements as stipulated by the Michigan Licensing Board. At present, this amounts to eight (8) hours of supervision per month. The supervision must be done in-person but can be either individual or group (i.e., the supervisor can meet with groups of advisees at the same time).
(h) Students must be continuously registered for PYC 5890- Practicum throughout the time that they are doing practicum. For each of the first two semesters on practicum, students must register for three (3) credit hour sections. For each semester thereafter, students must register for zero (0) credit hour sections.
FYI- Students are permitted to register for all six (6) credit hours in a single term. However, doing so may have an impact on eligibility for student loans in subsequent semesters.
(i) Students are required to complete (or have the supervisor complete) and submit all forms documenting (a) the setting (Practicum Placement Data Form), (b) hours completed (PracticumTime/Activity Logs on monthly basis and Documentation of Hours form at end of placement), and (c) student evaluation by the supervisor (Student Evaluation Form at end of placement). All required forms are provided in Appendix E. Hardcopies of the forms can also be obtained from the Psychology Office and/or from the Program Director/Practicum Co-ordinator.
(j) Students are required to meet with the UDM faculty member serving as the Practicum Co-ordinator (i.e., Program Director) on a regular basis as determined by the Co-ordinator. These meetings will serve to broaden and consolidate learning done on practicum.
(k) Students are required to dress and behave
professionally and to function in a manner consistent with the ethics and
standards for professional practice advocated by the
How do students get a practicum?
Students are expected to secure practicum placements on their own- The practicum co-ordinator will only get involved with the securing of a placement if a student has tried but has not been successful.
Application requirements for a practicum will vary across settings. Most applications, however, are akin to job applications. As such, students should have a current resume/CV that lists up to three professional and/or academic references. Students should also be prepared to write cover letters and to complete interviews.
While students are encouraged to explore what types of practicum opportunities are generally available in the community, they are not permitted to apply for a practicum in the first year of the program (second year for part-time students). With the permission of the program director, students can begin applying in the fall term. All students in their second year (third year for part-time) are expected to be applying for practicum no later than January-February of the winter term.
In order to assist students locate appropriate practicum sites, the Clinical MA program keeps a list of settings that have either taken our students in the past or have recently expressed a desire to take students. This list is provided below.
ADVICE FROM PAST STUDENTS:
It is suggested that students prepare for their
interview with potential practicum sites. Questions regarding expectations, the
site, and supervision format should be asked. Also, if possible, speak with
former interns from that site to ask about their experiences. For more interview
suggestions, past students have found the following sites helpful:
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview
http://www.gsep.pepperdine.edu/careerservices/psychology/
Some important things to consider with regards to doing the practicum:
(a) Most practicum agencies are open during regular business hours. Those agencies that provide twenty-four hour care do not have professional staff available to provide the necessary supervision after regular hours. As such, students should probably avoid doing practicum in such settings. Students who are working in addition to attending school may need to arrange leave time with their employers in order to complete this requirement.
(b) Students typically are not paid during their
practicum.
(c) Students are expected to have successfully completed all required clinical courses save PYC 5230 and 5430 which can be taken concurrent to doing practicum (with Program Director permission).
(d) Each setting has a treatment approach and an
organizational structure that meets the needs of it’s client population. If the agency you select for your practicum
requires specific medical tests before you begin, i.e. TB test, you will be
responsible for obtaining the test and all related expenses or other losses if
you are exposed to an infectious disease or are injured at the practicum
site. It is strongly recommended that
all students carry health care insurance coverage above and beyond what is
provided by the university (students registered for practicum are automatically
covered by the liability insurance of the university). Students assume
financial responsibilities for their own medical care.
(e) A student’s experience will vary depending on the
site selected, though students are expected to complete psychological
assessment at all agencies. At some agencies, students will be expected to
present didactic material or group therapy, which may not be utilized at
another agency. Students must weigh
their preference for a Practicum client population, treatment setting, and
professional interests when selecting a Practicum site.
(f) Students are permitted to do a practicum at any site that meets the requirements as stated earlier and which meets with the approval of the Program Director/Practicum co-ordinator.
In general, any site that has a mission commensurate
with the mission and purpose of UDM (e.g., social justice, serving underserved
populations) is considered desirable. Consider places such as not-for-profit
agencies, hospitals, mental health centers, counseling centers, or correctional
facilities. Since training is typically not part of their mission, students are
not encouraged to complete practicum training in private practices.
(g) The
practicum requirements are designed so that the practicum hours count for
temporary limited licensure. Any deviation from the requirements, especially
with supervision, may result in problems with licensure. UDM, the Clinical MA
program, and the Program Director/Practicum Co-ordinator
are not responsible for any problems a student may have with the licensure
process.
(h) About two
months into the practicum, the Program Director/Practicum co-ordinator
will contact supervisors to evaluate how the student is progressing. An action
plan will be developed by the student, the Program Director/Practicum Co-ordinator, and/or practicum site to address any identified
problems. If the problems are ostensibly interfering with timely completion of
the practicum, a student may not be permitted to walk in the May graduation
ceremony.
(i) The student evaluation done by the supervisor at the end
of the practicum serves as the basis for the practicum grade. The ultimate
decision for a final grade resides with the Program Director/Practicum Co-ordinator. If the student completed practicum hours at more
than one setting, then the final grade for practicum will be based upon a
combination of recommended final grades from the supervisors from each setting.
What
documentation do students need to have completed?
When students have obtained their practicum, they should
complete the "Practicum Placement Data Form." (Please see Appendix
E for a copy of this form). Complete and turn this form into the Program
Director or the Psychology Office in Reno Hall as soon as the setting has been
finalized.
Once the practicum is underway, the student is required to complete and submit a “Practicum Time/Activity Log” which is signed off by the supervisor (Please see Appendix E for a copy of this form) each month the student is doing practicum.
At the end of the practicum, the student needs to complete the “Documentation of Hours” form and have the supervisor complete the “Student Evaluation” form (Please see Appendix E for a copy of these form). The first form requires the supervisor signature. The second form must be completed and signed by the supervisor and shared with the student. The student must sign off on the form before it is forwarded to the Program Director/Practicum co-ordinator.
NOTE: Students are required to register and pay for six (6)
credit hours for the practicum course. If, after registering for three (3)
credit hour sections of the practicum course for two consecutive terms, a
student needs to register for any subsequent terms, then he/she is required to
register for a zero (0) credit hour practicum course for each term that they
continue doing practicum work. This
needs to be done to ensure that the university’s liability and malpractice
insurance covers students throughout their practicum.
Alphabetized List of Sites Where Students
have Completed Practica
C
Agency: Catholic
Services Of
Address: 15945 Canal,
Contact: (586) 416-2300
Agency: Center for Self and Family, KaraLee and Associates PC
Address:
Contact: Dr. Karen Maier, Psychologist, (734) 451-3440
G
Agency: The Guidance Center
Address: 15601 Northline,
Contact: Dr. Steven Genden,
(734) 785-7705 (Ext. 7063).
L
Agency: Life Skills Village, PLLC
Address: 28555 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, MI
48334
Contact: (248) 788-4300
M
Agency: Macomb County Community Mental Health
Community Care Clinic, First Resources North
Address: 43740 Groesbeck, Clinton Township, MI 48036
Contact: (586) 469-7629
Agency: Macomb County Community Mental Health
Community Care Clinic, First Southwest
Address: 6555 Fifteen Mile, Rd, Sterling Heights, MI
48312
Contact: (586) 783-8113
Agency: Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center
Address: 400 North Rose,
Contact: Richard Sweet, M.S., LLP, Psychologist, (586)
469-6550
Agency: MacLaren Oak Bridge
Center
Address:
Contact: Dr. Cotter, Psychologist, (810) 342-5333
Agency:
Address: 22967 Outer Drive,
Contact: Dr. Manuel Manrique,
(313) 561-9064
N
Agency: Northeast Guidance Center
Address:
Contact: (313) 245-7000
O
Agency: Oakland County Children’s Village
Address:
Contact: (248) 858-9677
P
Agency: PsyGenics Inc
Address: 11000 West McNichols,
Suite 320, Detroit, MI 48221
Contact: Jean Herbison,
Executive Director (313) 340-4442 jean@psygenics.org
T
Agency: Thomas Rosenbaum Ph.D. and Associates
Address: 2725 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Contact: Dr. Thomas Rosenbaum, (734) 677-0200
U
Agency:
Address: 2157
Contact: Dr. Debra Hutton, (313) 593-5430, Email dghutton@umich.edu
V
Agency: Vista Maria
Address:
Contact: (313) 271-3050
W
Agency: Wallace and Associates
Address:
Contact: Dr. Patricia Wallace, Psychologist, (248)
557-3820
Agency:
Address: 2140 East Ellsworth,
Contact: (734) 222-3400
Agency:
Address: 1326 St. Antoine,
Contact: (313) 967-2064
External Supervisors
There are some community based agencies and services
which are willing to take on students but lack an in-house licensed doctoral
level psychologist to provide supervision. In these instances, as long as the
prospective practicum site agrees, it may be possible to obtain supervision
from an external psychologist. It is up
to the student to contact and secure supervision arrangements in such
instances.
For students looking at using an external supervisor,
here are the names of five licensed psychologists that you may want to approach.
Each of these individuals has explicitly expressed interest in serving in a
supervisory capacity with students on practicum.
Dr. Michael Bambery- Email mbambery@msn.com
Dr. Bethann Kalt- Email bethann933@aol.com
Dr. Robert Rogers- Email rogershdrj@aol.com
Dr. David St. John- Email dstjohn@mispp.edu
Dr. Carol Stratman- Email catstratman@yahoo.com